The state’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs says the decision to revoke Ashley Court’s license suddenly May 25 was done in order to protect the residents in the facility after it was determined to be unsafe.

Ashley Court, 32406 Seven Mile in Livonia, remains closed after it had its license suspended May 25 by LARA, requiring the residents in the facility, many of them with Alzheimer’s disease, to find another location to go to. The state cited several reasons for the revocation of the license, in addition to what was listed in the order to revoke, including a finding earlier in the month that showed it did not meet fire safety approvals.

“In regards to notification timeline for the residents, it is important to know that the licensee has to be notified first. Once the licensee is notified, the provider usually assists with relocation by providing resident records, assist our staff and APS, etc., to make the transition of the residents to another setting go as smooth as possible,” said department spokesman Michael Loepp in an email to the Observer and Eccentric. “That did not happen in this case and the licensee designee left the facility. Ashley Court staff were also walking out making the need to transfer the residents to another facility that could meet their needs a priority.

“Allowing the residents to remain at Ashley Court without a licensee or licensee designee on site nor adequate direct care staff was not a safe option.”

The buildings were quiet Thursday morning, with just one car parked in the parking lot and doors closed. One building has a padlock on the outside door on the campus. It was a far cry from what family members of patients described it like the week before, where family members and patients were scrambling to move them to other facilities in the Metro Detroit area after it was closed.

The order calling for the closure, dated May 25, cited a May 3 inspection that resulted in a fire safety disapproval from the state, the most recent date a violation was listed in the order. Loepp said the Bureau of Community and Health Systems had concurrent investigations regarding care at the facility, which were done on May 13 and May 18. Those investigations were one of the reasons the order to revoke the license didn’t come until later, Loepp said.

“In addition, the bureau must finalize the findings and the Notice of intent to summary suspend and revoke the license, as well as coordinate with MDHHS Adult Protective Services so that they can locate residents to facilities willing to take the residents being displaced,” he said.

‘We need to look at it’

State Rep. Laura Cox, R-Livonia, said May 27 after a press conference held in conjunction with several city officials regarding the incident that the way the revocation was handled needs to be improved from the state’s perspective.

“What I’m trying to do is say, ‘I think there is a definitely a place to have notification,’” she said. “I think the process is flawed, but I think this situation has brought to light that we need to look at it.”

Cox said she planned on placing language in the budget appropriations for the departments involved that require state legislators be notified if such a closure is to take place in their district.

To reopen the facility, the license holder would need to appeal the ruling and win the appeal. If no appeal is made or is made and lost, the revocation is final and the provider may not apply for a license for five years. Loepp said the license holder had not yet filed an appeal as of late Thursday afternoon, though the appeals window had not yet closed as of then.

Loepp said about 10 summary suspensions, or immediate shutdowns, of adult foster care facilities are made across the state each year out of the nearly 4,500 such facilities.

“While deciding to issue a summary suspension is never an easy decision and can cause stress and anxiety for the residents that have to relocate and their family members, it is important to remember that the goal is the safety of the residents and relocation to a safe facility that can meet the residents needs is better in the long run,” he said.